Open collective bargaining sessions to the public, Metairie legislator says

Collective bargaining negotiations between government employers in Louisiana and labor unions would be open to the public under a bill by a Metairie legislator.

Tony Ligi

Rep. Tony Ligi, a Republican, said House Bill 204 stems from last year's unsuccessful attempt by some members of the Jefferson Parish School Board to push through a contract for school support workers before their terms ended on Dec. 31.

"Thank goodness some people were sensible about it," Ligi said Thursday. "It was a train wreck waiting to happen."

The board, with four lame duck members as part of a five-vote majority, hurried up a Dec. 8 vote designating two unions to represent support workers, who were not unionized before. A proposed contract had been hammered out between the board's labor lawyer and the two unions, with then-board President Gene Katsanis trying to win approval before the new board took office.

Ligi's bill would create the Public Employee Bargaining Transparency Act requiring that collective bargaining sessions between a public employer and a labor organization be subject to the state's Open Meetings Law. Meetings that deal with grievances, mediation, arbitration or strategy would not be open to the public.

Under the bill, the public would receive 24-hour notice of all other collective bargaining meetings. In addition, documents created or presented by the employer or union relative to collective bargaining would have to be made available immediately to the public, and all tentative and final agreements would have to be posted on the employer's website.

The bill has been assigned to the House and Government Affairs Committee and might be considered Wednesday, Ligi said.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers is opposed to the bill, while the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry supports it. Representatives of the two organizations were not immediately available for comment Thursday.

Meladie Munch, president of the Jefferson Federation of Teachers, said passage of Ligi's bill would compromise the collective bargaining process.

"You have to delve into particular issues and sometimes individuals' names may come up, and I don't think that's something you want to do in a public manner," she said.

Making the sessions public also would inhibit those at the negotiating table from speaking their minds, she said. "The frankness of the discussion might not be as effective."

Munch said she also disagrees with making tentative agreements public. "It should remain confidential," she said. "It's a contract between the employees and the employer."

Ligi said he tried last year to obtain a copy of the proposed contract between the Jefferson School Board and the two labor unions, but to no avail.